Rooks

Rooks

Bucket List of: Starr Sullivan Rooks, Academy of Nails and Esthetics, Charlotte, N.C.

Hauk

Hauk

1. Meet John Hauk.

Habib (left) and Greg Salo

Habib (left) and Greg Salo


2. Meet Greg and Habib Salo.


3. Enter a nail competition.
4. Become an instructor.
5. Open a nail salon.
6. Travel to other countries to learn different techniques.

7. Open a nail academy.

8. Master pink-and-whites.
9. Create nails for a magazine cover.


10. Have artwork published in a magazine.

Hundley

Hundley

Bucket List of:Tashawna Hundley , Square Nails, Jersey City, N.J.

1. Quit my day job and do nails for commercial shoots and films.
2. Open a shop in an urban zone (so they can also receive quality service).
3. Open a spa in Miami.


4. Teach nails at a cosmetology school.


5. Open an affordable dream vacation location in the Caribbean.

Roman

Roman

Bucket List of: Angie Roman, Chicago

1. Say that I have been a professional nail technician for over 20 years.
2. Become an educator for a professional nail product company.


3. Travel to Puerto Rico to see the San Juan Beauty Show.


4. Visit some of the huge nail product companies for a tour of their labs.
5. Get my nails done by other well-known technicians in other cities.


6. Finally win first or second place in the NAILS mural or mini-masterpiece contests. (I’ve been honorably mentioned four times.)
7. Take some amazing continuing education classes.
8. Do Ivy Queen’s nails once. Or any other famous person’s nails.


9. Sit in on an OPI polish naming meeting.
10. Hear that some of the students I taught are doing BIG things with nails.
11. Create a nail art book that will be published.
12. Be the nail tech for photo shoots and well-known photographers.

Next page: A nail tech who wants to earn her e-file certification, one who wants to do nails for fashion week, and one with international nail competitions in her sights!

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Anderson

Anderson

Bucket List of: Nykicia S. Anderson, Upper Marlboro, Md.

1.  Become an educator or mentor more nail techs.


2.  Earn my e-file certification.
3.  Attend the week-long Young Nails acrylic and gel class in California.
4.  Host my own networking day for nail techs.


5.  Develop my own product line.
6.  Open my own nail studio.


7.  Have my nails done by Princess Gard , Amy Oung, Anjanette Saint-Bartlett, and Joy McCray.
8.  Have my nails showcased on the cover of NAILS Magazine.
9.  Enter a competition and place.
10. Be a part of an editorial photo shoot.

Ne Webb

Ne Webb

Bucket List of: Sharon Byrne Ne Webb, United Kingdom

1. Get my masters in Shellac and acrylic with CND.
2. Become an education ambassador for CND.


3. Enter nail competitions.
4. Open my own training school.
5. Do the nails for a photo shoot.
6. Be part of London/Milan/Paris fashion week.
7. Do a celebrity’s nails.

McCarthy

McCarthy

Bucket List of: Laura McCarthy, Divine Digitz, Bantry, Co.Cork, Ireland

1. Become an educator.


2. Enter the international nail competitions.
3. Do a few famous people’s nails, preferably with mad art, i.e. Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, or Lady Gaga.
4. Earn enough through my passion to provide enough and more for my kids and their educations.
5. Win some nail art championships.
6. Meet and train with the world’s best and most talented nail artists.
7. Be so highly regarded that I get a cover of NAILS Magazine (or an interview at least!).

Next page: The most common bucket list items

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Newbill

Newbill

Bucket List of: La Sharn Newbill, My enHANDSments by La Sharn, Bolingbrook, Ill., and Elkridge, Md.

1. Own one bricks-and-mortar spa-salon.
2. Own one mobile spa.
3 To be an expert witness for nails in court.
4. Do five of my favorite celebrities’ manicures and/or pedicures.
5. Continue to assist those who aren’t able to get their nails done.
6. Own a small nail school for anyone in high school.
7. Continue to stand out from the next nail tech.
8. Continue to assist other nail techs who are struggling in the industry.
9. Compete internationally.
10. Patent a product.

Whatley

Whatley

Bucket List of: Jamika Whatley, Houston

1. Open my own nail bar.
2. Extend that nail bar to multiple locations.
3. Travel overseas to gather ideas from other nail salons that may be great in the States.
4. Develop my own nail lotions/scrubs/brand.


5. Give back to battered women’s shelters or senior citizens by doing their nails periodically.
6. Mentor others wanting to open a nail bar.

Cochran

Cochran

Bucket List of: NaStasha J. Cochran, Cleveland

1. Write a successful business plan.


2. Open ENJCE Nail Bar and ENJCE Nail Bar+.
3. Become a successful business woman.
4. Watch my kids graduate from college.
5. Host a charity fundraiser to provide hair and nail care to the developmentally disabled population.
6. Give back to my community.
7. Open a chain of ENJCE Nail and Hair Academies.
8. Enjoy educating the world about nail care and the fun of it all!


9. Retire and live like a queen.
10. Die smiling.   

We heard from more than 30 nail techs and salon owners who shared their bucket lists with us. Though we couldn’t print them all here, we did note some interesting commonalities:

We declare a tie for the most common bucket list item: to open your own salon and to do editorial work (for celebrities, magazine photo shoots,and runway shows).

The celebrities you want to do nails for? Women with fierce style: Katy Perry, Pink, Ivy Queen, Lady Gaga.

Ten nail techs specifically mentioned wanting to do a NAILS Magazine cover before they die. (We’re flattered!)

Ten techs have a life goal of traveling the world for nails. Destinations abound from England to Russia to Japan.

When it comes to attending trade shows, the International Beauty Show (IBS) in Las Vegas is a life goal for more techs than any other show.

Either many of you loved nail school (or are committed to improving it — or both!) because 10 of you want to either become instructors or open your own schools.

Related Article:

An Awesome, Awesome Day [Starr Rooks Checks An Item Off Her Bucket List]

Sree Roy

Contributing Editor

Read more posts written by Sree

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